1. Introduction : institutional settings of state power and the policy process -- 2. Patterns of economic growth : narratives and realities -- 3. Building the modern state and economy -- 4. Comparative policy dynamics of trade and investment promotion -- 5. Liberalization : divergent paths,...

Many commentators have extolled the virtues of new information and communicationtechnologies (ICTs) in reducing poverty and improving the quality of life. While such arguments havebeen used before in relation to many predecessor technologies, including other earliercommunications technologies,...